TPOP’s 2016 Top 40 Pirates Prospects Rankings – #’s 21-30

Jordan Luplow’s move to 3B could be an intriguing follow this year.Photo by Ken Inness/MiLB.com

Day 2 of our prospect countdown gets us into the meat of the system. There is more talent on the board and more consensus among our participating writers. It’s mostly composed of surprise 2015 middle or late round performers, with a couple of unheralded international signings mixed in. You could imagine some of these players have a real chip on their shoulders.

Let’s get right back into the rankings. If you’re joining us late, check out yesterday’s 31-40 list for a more complete intro. I will reintroduce our participants, of course.

MB – Hinsz is coming from the Big Sky state instead of Florida so I’m giving him a pass on his growing pains. He has the frame and mechanics to be a good starter but he needs to have a good year in full season ball.

SD – Control needs to improve, but he’s allowed one home run in 46 career minor league innings.

Editor’s Note: Yes, we are aware that he retired. However, we included him anyway to help show the impact of his loss on the system. Very, very surprising for a guy who seemed to be rising pretty quickly at least on the surface.

KC – High upside middle reliever candidate.

SD – What’s more amazing than the number of decent to good Pirates pitching prospects with recent Tommy John, is the number of decent to good Pirates pitching prospects without it.

MB – DuRapau had one of the best seasons of all Pirates farmhands. Most pitchers like to have a 3 or 4 to 1 K/BB ratio. DuRapau’s last year was over 7. He’s solely a reliever but he could get a September call-up if he keeps this up.

KC – Reliever touched 3 levels in 2015 with great success at each, will pitch at AA this year.

SD – Montana levels faster than an Eastern European you pay to play World of Warcraft for you.

KH – Another on the laundry list of Tommy John patients within the Pirates system, Holmes went under the knife in 2014 and returned to Bradenton near the end of 2015. If he can continue to refine his command, he could find himself in a similar role to Nick Kingham in the future.

MB – Holmes is coming back from TJ after missing all of ’14 and the beginning of ’15. He is a horse that could be another Kingham if he gets back to where he was when he was dominating in ’13.

SD – Holmes came back from TJ with improved control in a small sample. 2016 will be interesting to see if the Pirates take the training wheels off a little.

More tomorrow with #11-20.

Steve is a naturalized yinzer hailing originally from just north of Allentown, PA. He came to Pittsburgh to attend Duquesne University and decided to stick around after graduation. Steve is best known for his contributions to Duquesne hoops community as the owner of the Duquesne Dukes forum on Yuku and as the former editor of We Wear the Ring on the Fansided network. He is an avid Pirates fan, home cook and policy nerd. He is the co-founder of the Point of Pittsburgh. Easily irritated by people who misuse the word regress.